Heat-assisted direct air capture plant plotted for Suffolk port
Sizewell C and Associated British Ports aim to test novel heat-assisted technology that could see nuclear plants power large-scale
Plans are underway to build a direct air capture (DAC) unit in East Suffolk, after the developers of the Sizewell C nuclear plant and Associated British Ports inked a deal to lease a site in the Port of Lowestoft.
The partners announced yesterday they would be seeking planning permission to build a DAC facility at the Suffolk port that could test a new type of carbon removal process powered primarily by heat.
Sizewell C and Associated British Ports claim this heat-assisted approach for capturing carbon directly from the air is “more efficient and innovative” than alternative DAC technologies.
If the demonstrator project is successful, it should clear the way for construction of a full-scale DAC unit which would utilise waste heat generated at the Sizewell C nuclear plant, according to the partners.
Under the proposals, heat would be transported from the nuclear facility to the DAC unit via underground pipes providing energy to the system to enable it to capture 1.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the air each year. The captured carbon could then be utilised or transfered to storage sites under the North Sea.
“We are delighted to be developing plans with ABP to locate the demonstrator DAC facility at the Port of Lowestoft and to help drive net zero innovation in the East of England,” said Sizewell C managing director for financing, Julia Pyke. “DAC is one part of our plan to make Sizewell C a low-carbon hub, which will help kickstart other technologies and deliver even more value to our energy system.”
The announcement of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between ABP and Sizewell C to finalise the commercial agreements to lease a site at the Suffolk port comes after the nuclear plant and its partners were awarded £3m from the government to develop heat-assisted DAC technology.
All the engineering, design, construction and testing activities for the demonstrator unit will be carried out in the UK, the partners said.
Andrew Harston, regional director at ABP, said the Port of Lowestoft said the demonstrator DAC project aligned closely with the ports organisation’s plan to achieve net zero by 2040 and Sizewell C’s focus on production of clean, low-carbon energy. “ABP plans to continue to support the development of Sizewell C and looks forward to both the DAC development and the construction at Sizewell commencing as soon as possible,” he said.
The announcement came just hours ahead of the government’s unveiling of its updated Net Zero Strategy, which is widely expected to include new funding for carbon capture and storage projects and plans to create a new research programme for carbon removal technologies.
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